Salvia ‘Amistad’, in less than 20 years, has become a much-loved cultivar throughout the world. and is known as the ‘friendship sage’. It was discovered in a tray of salvias at a plant sale in Argentina in 2005 by Dr Rolando Uria, and he decided to name it ‘Amistad’, meaning ‘friendship’ in Spanish.
There is much to love about this plant, in that its 1.5m high, bushy, rounded habit is ideal for planting schemes, guaranteeing a display of purple flower spires, with highly aromatic foliage, from mid-summer until the frosts in October-November. It’s not 100% hardy, so I have lost it a couple of times over the years but it’s always worth repurchasing. The young growths are adored by slugs and snails, so during wet weather in spring it can be difficult to get going.
I have noticed, however, that in London’s parks, Salvia ‘Amistad’ really thrives and can be seen growing happily and well-established in May, beneath London Planes in much drier soils, where the mature trees are protecting the plants during the winter months. And the drier soils obviously do not attract the slugs during early spring growth.
Continue reading Plants of the Month: Salvia (October 2024)
